Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States and is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women; a woman’s lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 67.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 21,650 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. in 2008 and about 15,520 women will die from the disease.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often vague and subtle, making it difficult to diagnose. There is no effective screening test for ovarian cancer but there are tests which can detect ovarian cancer when patients are at high risk or have early symptoms.

In spite of this patients are usually diagnosed in advanced stages and only 45% survive longer than five years. Only 19% of cases are caught before the cancer has spread beyond the ovary to the pelvic region.

When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early on, the five-year survival rate is greater than 92%.

We decided to go all out. We didn't have one 'O' food - we had an entire 'O' menu!

We started off with an Orchard Martini . . .

We sipped our martinis while we enjoyed a salad. In keeping with the 'O' theme it was an Orange and Beet salad. I modified a recipe I found on Simply Recipes - it was amazing!

We followed up with a main course that was Italian. We had the classic Osso Buco, Oven Baked Polenta, and Zucca al Forno

Oh, and the Zucca al forno was a Jamie Oliver recipe!

I served Olive and Rosemary rolls with this - perfect for soaking up the incredible Osso Buco juices.

Guess what wine we drank with dinner?

Barolo!

The 'O' theme didn't finish there. I wanted to use one of Gina's recipes to show support for her in her battle with ovarian cancer. I made her incredible Olive Oil Zucchini Cake with Lemon Crunch from Dolce Italiano.

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Great job Jerry! Your dinner looks wonderful. I love Osso Buco. And Beet and Orange salads are also one of my favorites. And you got to make the Zucchini Olive Oil Cake. I guess I better put my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with.

We left the snow behind and headed to California for a long weekend of fun. We shoppedm toured wineries, tasted olive oil, met up with good friends, and ate some wonderful food. I can't wait for slow bowl 2009.